Cuteness Cubed

I have this great cd photo cube class coming up on November 13th!!! This makes a fabulous gift... but it's so cute you may not be able to part with it!!! I would love to teach you how to make this great project!

Doing a Turkey Trot

My club ladies made is fun "explosion" box with this adorable punched turkey! So much fun!

Witches shoe and pumpkin

Witches shoe and Halloween rub-ons for the pumpkin :)
Candy bag turned out really cute! Just love the design of this treat bag. It will definately be used again!

Halloween card

Halloween card with brayered back ground in an oval window covered with transparency!

costume fun!

A "Spooktackular" Halloween! We had a great time with our friends and got lots of candy - yum!

New home in Iraq

Here is a recent photo Rodger sent of his new home in Iraq. What the photo doesn't show is a roommate just to the left of his bed. His room is one of four in a small trailer and he says when people go in and out of their rooms on the other end the trailer it creeks. He has been working 14+ hour days, so he doesn't see his room very often. Just crawls in when it's dark... so he doesn't wake his roommate! Hopefully, next time he sends a photo of his room it will be covered in photos and pictures he was sent!

Picnic in the Park

I apologize for such a bad photo! I created this card for a small swap group on the east coast! The scallop circle #2 sizzix die fits the tree perfectly behind the new tree set! This card makes me want to have a picnic in the park! Simple card but utilizes a lot of great tools like the sizzix machine and the cutting tool for the grass!

From Owl of Us...

Just love this versatile "Owl Together Now" set. Owls seem to be popular where ever you turn! In fact Lindsey has a cute little owl shirt I will post! I used whisper white card stock. I cut a piece circle out of scrap computer paper and placed it down on my card stock then brayered over it using the new pacific point ink. I sponged mustard and so saffron in the circle to make it look more like a moon! Fun technique that is great for Halloween projects and Christmas! I will be showing this technique again soon!

Fun, Quick Birthday greeting...

This card is really easy... just take a piece of 41/4 by 11" card stock (pink pirouette shown) and fold in half. Then place the folded edge near the top (not all the way covering) of the Top Note BigZ Die and run it through your Big Shot. This results in a fabulous card which I added to a Riding Hood Red 41/4 by 51/2 card base. Very simple with great results!

Christmas this Saturday...

Just a quick note to invite you to my "Christmas Stamp-a-Stack" class this Saturday at 6 pm! We will make 10 cards (2 each of 5 different designs). This class will take place the second Saturday of every month until Christmas! Lets get them done and ready for the holidays... they will be here before you know it! Please RSVP to save your spot!

Fabulous flowers class

Here are a couple of projects we did at the "Fabulous Flowers" class this week... Ribbon flowers was a technique Stampin' Up! showed at Convention.... and even though I was not able to attend convention this year, I just read about how to do this fun technique! It worked perfect with the new 1 1/4 inch, pink pirouette grosgrain ribbon! The inside part of the flower is done using my wonderful big shot again and the "daisy die", plus the final touch of the new designer buttons! The words are a hostess set and they fit perfectly in the new wide oval punch!

This box is totally easy and cute for any occation! We used the scallop circle punch to create this delicate little flower!

The final "Enjoy" card was made using the five pedal flower punch. Beautiful card with lots of dimension! Of course.... new ribbon, new designer brads, new designer paper, new punch! I love the new catalog and products... can you tell?

Sweet

Here is the scrapbook page I created using the same design. The letters "Sweet" are letter from my new "Big Shot" die cutting machine. Oh - I really love what I can do with this machine! It's simply sweet!

Swap Cards in the mail...

Oh! I'm finally done and got all those cards in the mail. I sure loved this card when I started to make it, but after 100 of them, I was ready for something else. This card uses the new stamp set: Inspired by Nature - just love this versitile set! I also used some of the new color paper, Pink Pirouette, pared with Chocolate chip, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, white, and Sweet Always designer paper! I just used my markers to color the flowers before stamping them. Fun beautiful project. I also did a scrapbook page with this same design. I will show that next!

A pile of "Happy"

Here is just a sneek peek of what I've been working on for a swap. I am almost done with 100 cards that have to be in the mail on Monday. My card uses one of my favorite stamp sets and has this cute little "happy" embellishment too. I will share my swap here later this week.

Tennis PRO in training...

Trent enjoyed his first day of tennis lessons and had a really good coach. They played fun games in doing everything... even picking up balls. They worked a lot on hand / eye / foot cordination and Trent is very well.

Fun times at Avila Farms

We enjoyed a great day at Avila Farms over Labor Day week-end. The kids fed all the critters and had a tasty ice cream! I got a lot of veggies and fruit. The peaches and green beens were awesome! We saw some pretty flowers and had a great time.

We had a great day! This is one of my favorite places to go locally!

Photo from the training lines in New Jersey. Rodger just completed four weeks of training in preparation for his third tour to Iraq. He will be flying out this week and will be in Iraq until the middle/end of March!











News from the homefront: The boys started school today and had a great time seeing all their friends again and getting to know their new teachers.

Lindsey started her first dance class today. She was so excited to play the beautiful, dancing princess part today... and she fit the part perfectly!

One of my creative passions - is rubber stamping and paper crafting. I started stamping about 12 years ago (wow - has it been that long). My wonderful Aunt Marilyn got me into making cards and is a very crafty lady! I started scrapbooking about the time we had our first born (so about 8 years ago). About 5 years ago I found , "Stampin' Up!". I signed up as a demonstrator right away and have been loving all the products they offer and the inspirational projects they make. I have met so many wonderful friends through my business and have come to love the flexibility of staying home my my kids and being able to have this wonderful business that pays for my addiction!!! Here is a recent card I did using the new in-colors and my new "big shot" die cutting machine. So easy and so fun!

Enjoy!

I thought it would be appropriate to introduce my family to you, since these would be the people I talk about most! Next to me is my wonderful, loving husband, Rodger - isn't he so handsome -just love this man!!! He is such a great person - in every aspect of his life... from fatherhood to military hero. He's the rock that holds us all together! Trent is the cute blond boy with his arm in the air. He just turned 7 and is quite a fun happy character. Lindsey is almost 4 in November and I have to say she is so smart and quite a girly - girl, despite our best efforts to toughen her up! My heart just melts looking at her. Garrett (the fast growing man of the house) is almost 9 and he is such a caring - loving kid. He most certainly has a heart of gold. I love my family and feel so blessed every day - okay, I admit the days I have a dirty house and the kids are fighting or cryin' it's a bit more challenging to appreciate my blessing! Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better family! So, here is where life starts and the many stories begin! Hello from us to you!

Never thought I would be a blogger!

I have been surfing the web and subscribing to stamping blogs for a long time, but never thought I would actually be blogging! I think this will be a great opportunity for me to keep in touch with my customers, friends, and family, and create a record of my journey through life. I am looking forward to sharing more stamping projects with you and more of my life as well. I hope to inspire you to use your own creativity and challenge you to live life to it's fullest!!! I am looking forward to this jouney together!!!